Gas turbine engines operate to produce mechanical work or thrust. One type of gas turbine engine is a land-based engine that has a generator coupled thereto which harnesses the mechanical work for the purposes of generating electricity. A gas turbine engine comprises at least a compressor section having a series of rotating compressor blades. Air enters the engine through an inlet and then passes through the compressor, where the rotating blades compress the air, thereby raising its pressure and temperature. The compressed air is then directed into one or more combustors where fuel is injected into the compressed air and the mixture is ignited.
The combustor can take on a variety of configurations. Typically combustors have one or more chambers where fuel and air are mixed and then ignited. In order to provide the lowest possible emissions, it is necessary to thoroughly mix the fuel and air, so as to burn as many fuel particles as possible. Also, due to the reaction temperatures of the combustion process, it is necessary to actively cool the combustion liner.
The hot combustion gases are directed from the combustion section to a turbine section by a transition duct. The hot combustion gases pass through the turbine, causing the turbine to rotate, where the turbine is in turn coupled to the compressor by a shaft located along an engine centerline.